Heating apparatus

ABSTRACT

A portable apparatus for fireplaces comprising a hollow sectional tubular body of heat conducting fire resistant material, the body having a plurality of heat conducting annular ribs thereon; a plurality of legs adjustably attached to the body to adjustably position the tubular body remote from the hearth of the fireplace, the body open at each end and an electrical motor driven fan disposed at one end thereof to force ambient air through the body, a louver disposed at the other open end of the body to selectively direct the then heated air as it leaves the body, the body having in its wall, near the louvered end, at least one air exhaust pipe having connecting means thereon, a flexible pipe adapted to be attached to the exhaust pipe to direct air from the body to other areas of the fireplace including the hearth to provide a positive source of air to the hearth to assist in starting of the fire in the fireplace, shutoff means to selectively shutoff the exhaust pipe.

Richard, Jr. et al.

[ 1 HEATING APPARATUS [76] Inventors: George Charles Richard, Jr., 72Summerfield Drive; John Henry Richard, 607 Greenforest Drive, both ofBaden, Pa. 15005; Anthony L. Molennor, R.D. No. 4, Gibsonia, Pa. 15044[22] Filed: Oct. 8, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 513,104

[52] U.S. Cl. 126/121; 237/55 [51] Int. Cl. F24B 7/04 [58] Field ofSearch 237/55, 51, 12.3 A; 126/120, 121, 25 R; 98/205, 2.06, 2.07, 2.08

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,973,514 9/1934 Sutter237/123 A 2,155,355 4/1939 Booth 98/208 2,362,526 11/1944 Austin....126/121 2,787,997 4/1957 Asbury 126/121 2,828,078 3/1958 Snodgrass.237/51 3,433.21] 3/1969 Latta 126/25 A Oct. 14, 1975 ABSTRACT A portableapparatus for fireplaces comprising a hollow sectional tubular body ofheat conducting fire resistant material, the body having a plurality ofheat conducting annular ribs thereon; a plurality of legs adjustablyattached to the body to adjustably position the tubular body remote fromthe hearth of the fireplace, the body open at each end and an electricalmotor driven fan disposed at one end thereof to force ambient airthrough the body, a louver disposed at the other open end of the body toselectively direct the then heated air as it leaves the body, the bodyhaving in its wall, near the louvered end, at least one air exhaust pipehaving connecting means thereon, a flexible pipe adapted to be attachedto the exhaust pipe to direct air from the body to other areas of thefireplace including the hearth to provide a positive source of air tothe hearth to assist in starting of the fire in the fireplace, shutoffmeans to selectively shutoff the exhaust pipe.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures HEATING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention, relates generally to portable fireplaceheaters adapted to fit within various forms and different sizes offireplaces to directionally emit heated air into the room in which thefireplace is located.

In particular, the present invention relates to a portable heatingapparatus for fireplaces comprising a hollow sectional tubular body ofheat conducting fire resistant material, the body having a plurality ofheat conducting annular ribs thereon; a plurality of legs adjustablyattached to the body to adjustably position the tubular body remote fromthe hearth of the fireplace, the body open at each end and an electricalmotor driven fan disposed at one end thereof to force ambient airthrough the body, a louver disposed at the other open end of the body toselectively direct the then heated air as it leaves the body, the bodyhaving in its wall, near the louvered end, at least one air exhaust pipehaving connecting means thereon, a flexible pipe adapted to be attachedto the exhaust pipe to direct air from the body to other areas of thefireplace including the hearth to provide a positive source of air tothe hearth to assist in starting of the fire in the fireplace, shutoffmeans to selectively shutoff the exhaust pipe.

The prior art is replete with attempts to effectively and efficientlyharness the heat generated by fires in open fireplaces that escapes upthe flue. For example,

the following US. Pat. Nos. are representative of the prior art:

Many of the prior art patents disclose physically structured heatingapparatus that are effective only if the fire impinges directly on thedevice. This, of course, will result in rapid deterioration of thedevice. An example of such a prior art heater is US Pat. No. 1,640,771to Hannum which combines a heating apparatus with a grate structure.

Likewise many of the prior art patents disclose heating apparatus thatinhibit the flow of the products of combustion of the fire and causesmoke to flow into the room area rather than up into the flue. Anexample of such a prior art heater is US. Pat. No. 1,608,745 whichincludes heating pipes which restrict the flue gases.

Further, the prior art patents are typically uneconomical and expensiveto manufacture, complicated in design and incapable of being portablyadapted to various forms and sizes of fireplaces.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of thepresent invention to provide a portable heating apparatus for fireplacescomprising a hollow sectional tubular body of heat conducting fireresistant material, the body having a plurality of heat conductingannular ribs thereon; a plurality oflegs adjustably attached to the bodyto adjustably position the tubular body remote from the hearth of thefireplace, the body open at each end and an electrical motor driven fandisposed at one end thereof to force ambient air through the body, alouver disposed at the other open end of the body to selectively directthe then heated air as it leaves the body, the body having in its wall,near the louvered end, at

least one air exhaust pipe having connecting means thereon, a flexiblepipe adapted to be attached to the exhaust pipe to direct air from thebody to other areas of the fireplace including the hearth to provide apositive source of air to the hearth to assist in starting of the firein the fireplace, shutoff means to selectively shutoff the exhaust pipe.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a portableheating apparatus for fireplaces in which the tubular body is upwardlyremoved from the fireplace hearth wherein the fire in the fireplace doesnot directly impinge on the apparatus.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide aportable heating appartus for fireplaces in which the tubular bodyrearwardly removed from the flow of flue gases wherein the gases arefree to flow up the chimney without restriction.

It is yet another very important object of the present invention toprovide a portable heating apparatus for fireplaces which can beinexpensively and economically manufactured using high volume automatedman ufacturing techniques.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide aportable heating apparatus capable of being portably adapted to variousforms and sizes of fireplaces. I

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent as the said invention is better understood from the followingdisclosure and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of afireplace heating apparatus embodying the concept of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the heating apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the heating apparatus taken along line 3-3of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the heating apparatus taken along line 44of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cutaway view of the heating apparatus of FIG. 2showing the details of the electrical motor installation;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the electrical motor installationof FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cutaway view of the interlocked sections of theheating apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a flexible pipe adapted to be attachedto the heating apparatus of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, there isshown an improved portable heating apparatus for fireplaces l0 embodyingthe various concepts of the present invention.

The portable heating apparatus 10 is provided with a hollow tubular body12 having sections 12a, 12b and 12c. As will be discussed further belowthe tubular body 12 is sectioned so that it may readily be adapted tovarious forms, shapes and sizes of fireplaces.

The tubular body 12 may be provided with a plurality of heat conductingannular ribs 14 disposed substantially throughout the length of the body12. The annu lar ribs 14 increase the surface area of the outer surfaceof the tubular body 12 thereby increasing its heat conductingproperties. The ribs 14 may be attached to the outer surface of the body12 or integral therewith.

The tubular body 12 may also be provided with a plurality of brackets 16fixedly attached to its outer surface. The bracket 16 may be cylindricalin shape with a hole 18 centrally therethrough. The wall of the bracket16 may be apertured 20 to received pin 22.

The bracket 16 is adapted to receive a leg 24 at its central hole 18.The leg 24 may be provided with a series of apertures 26 therethroughalong its longitudinal axis which may be placed in registration withaperture 20 in the wall of the bracket 16. The pin 22 may be received byboth apertures 20 and 26 to positionally lock the leg 24 with respect tothe bracket 16 and in turn with respect to the tubular body 12. It canbe seen therefore that the vertical position of the tubular body can bevaried by choosing different apertures 26 and the position can bemaintained by the insertion of the pin 22 into said apertures 20 and 26.

As before mentioned, the hollow tubular body 12 may be provided with aplurality of sections 12a, 12b and 12c. The various sections could beselected from a variety of shapes which could conform to varied interiorshapes of fireplaces. Also by varying the various leg 24 heights andvarying the section shapes the overall configuration could beselectively changed. The sections 12a, 12b and 120 could be fittedtogether in a telescoping arrangement, that is, the outer diameters ofthe ends of section 12a and 12c nearest section 12b could be slightlyless than the inner diameter of 12c thereby allowing a slip fit ofsections 12a 12c within section 12b. Fastening means such as screwscould fasten sections 12a and 12c to section 12b.

The sections 12a, 12b and 120 could be manufactured from a variety ofmaterials such as sheet steel which could be suitably coated, treated orplated. The composition, grade and gauge of the sheet steel would dependupon a number of things including the formability, conductivity, designlife, cost and the like. The sections 12a, 12b and 120 could betubularly formed using conventional forming techniques.

The tubular body 12 is open at both ends 28 and 30. One open end 28 isthe heater inlet and one open end 30 is heater outlet. The heatingapparatus is also provided with an electrical motor 32 which may be astandard fractional horsepower 60 cycle A.C. motor. The motor 32 ispositioned centrally within the tubular body 12 at or near the heaterinlet 28. The motor 32 is so positioned within the tubular body 12 bymeans of a substantially U-shaped bracket 34. The motor 32 may befastened to the bracket 34 by'bolts 36 and to the bracket 34 and thebracket 34 is attached to tubular body by nut and bolt assembly 38. Ofcourse other suitable fastening means could be used to secure the motor34 within the tubular body 12.

The electrical motor is provided with a fan blade 40 on its shaft fordrawing ambient air into heater inlet 28 and through the tubular bodyand out the heater outlet 30. The tubular body 12 is further provided,at the inlet 28, with a screen 40 for removing certain particulatematter from the intake air which reduces the amount of dirt that mightreach the motor 32. The filtration action further enhances the airquality that is emitted from the outlet 30. Further, the cleansed inletair will also tend to keep the electrical motor running cool even thoughthe heater 10 is operating in a hot environment.

The tubular body 12 is further provided, at the outlet 30, with a louver44 which is capable of selectively directing the outlet air into theroom in which the fireplace is located. The louver may also regulate theamount of air that flows into the room. The louver 44 may be attached tothe tubular'body' 12 by screws (not shown) or may fit within an annulargroove provided in the inner wall of the tubular body (not shown). Thelouver 44 may, therefore, be adapted to be rotated in the annular grooveto allow the louver flaps 46 to operate in different planes.

The tubular body 12 is also provided with at least one exhaust pipe 48which is disposed near the outlet 30. The exhaust pipe 48 is formed inand protrudes through the wall of the tubular body 12 providing apassageway therethrough. The exhaust pipe 48 presents a triangularlyshaped area to the air as it flows through the tubular body 12. Theexhaust pipe 48 is provided with bayonet pins 50 which are adapted tointerlock with the bayonet slots 52 formed in the end of a flexible tube54 to thereby interlock the flexible tube 54 to the exhaust pipe 48. Theflexible tube 54 is of sufficient length to reach the hearth area of thefireplace.

The flexible tube 54 is provided with a detachable end cap 56 whichforms at the end thereof. The end cap 56 may also serve the purpose,when it is attached to the end of the flexible tube 54, of a hangar forpositioning the tube 54 in a position removed from the fire or heartharea when the tube 54 is not in use.

Typical operation of the heating apparatus 10 would include placing itin a fireplace so that the tubular body 12 conforms generally to theback wall of the fireplace. The leg 24 height would be adjusted so thattubular body 12 would be positioned upwardly removed from the heartharea. The wood or other burnables would be placed in the fireplace andthe electrical motor 32 would be connected and energized through itslead 58 to an electrical outlet. The flexible tube 54 would be attachedto the exhaust pipe 48, preferably the downwardly facing pipe 48. Theupwardly facing pipe 48 would be sealed off by a cap or the like. Thelouvers 44 would be partially shut to increase the air pressure withinthe tubular body 12. The fire would be started by matches or the like anoutlet of the flexible tube would be directed in the hearth area todirect thereto a positive source of air to assist and expedite thestarting of the fire in the fireplace.

After the fire has been suitably started the end cap 56 can be placed onthe flexible tube 54 and the tube 54 can be stored out of the heartharea. The louvers 44 can then be regulated as to flow and direction.

Almost immediately, through the phenomenon of radiation, conduction andconvection, the air passing through the tubular body will be heated andemitted into the room as clean heated air. The heating apparatus -10, soconfigured, is a highly efficient mechanism using very little energy, inthe form of the electricity to power the electric motor 32, to captureand utilize the heat energy contained in the combustion gases that wouldotherwise pass up the flue.

It should be noted that the heating apparatus 10 is provided with twoexhaust pipes 48 opposed oppositely on the tubular body 12. This allowsfor placing the heater inlet 28 at either side of the fireplace whilestill keeping the exhaust pipe 48 in a convenient position with respectto the hearth. In a typical application the inner area of the tubularbody 12- is circular in cross section having a diameter of approximatelyfive inches. The inner area of the air exhaust pipe 48 is also typicallycircular in cross section which has a diameter of approximately oneinch.

Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the specific detailsas herein disclosed and described, but is capable of other modificationsand changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A portable heating apparatus for fireplaces comprising a hollowsectional tubular body of heat conducting fire resistant material, saidbody having a plurality of heat conducting annular ribs thereon, aplurality of legs adj ustably attached to said body to adj ustablyposition said tubular body remote from the hearth of said fireplace,said body open at each end and an electrical motor driven fan disposedat one end of thereof to force ambient air through said body, a louverdisposed at the other open end of said body to selectively direct thethen heated air as it leaves said body, said body having in its wall,near the louvered end, at least one air exhaust pipe having connectingmeans thereon, a flexible pipe adapted to be attached to said exhaustpipe to direct air from said body to other areas of the fireplaceincluding the hearth to provide a positive source of air to said hearthto assist in starting of the fire in said fireplace, shutoff means toselectively shutoff said exhaust pipe.

2. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein saidconnecting means includes a bayonetjoint having bayonet studs on theouter surface of said air exhaust pipe and a bayonet slot disposed onthe end of said flexible pipe.

3. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the sectionsof the body is manufactured from formed sheet metal, said sections beingattached to each other by fastening means including sheet metal screws.

4. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said shutoffmeans includes a detachable cap adapted to be fitted to the open end ofsaid flexible pipe.

5. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the innerarea of said body is circular in cross section having a diameter ofapproximately five inches.

6. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the innerarea of said air exhaust pipe is circular in cross section having adiameter of approximatley one inch.

7. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein a screen isdisposed at the end of the tube upstream of said fan to remove certainparticulate matter from the ambient air.

8. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said airexhaust pipe protrudes into the inner area of said body, said airexhaust pipe being cylindrical in shape and presenting an opensubstantially triangularly shaped area to the air as it flows throughsaid body.

9. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein said airexhaust pipes are positioned near the louvered end of said body.

10. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein there arethree legs disposed equidistantly about said body, said three legs eachdisposed in a bracket fixedly attached to the outer surface of saidbody, a series of apertures in said legs spaced along the longitudinalaxis thereof, an aperture in said bracket and a pin adapted to fit insaid aperture of said bracket and one said aperture of said leg tofixedly and selectively position said leg with respect to said body.

* l l l

1. A portable heating apparatus for fireplaces comprising a hollow sectional tubular body of heat conducting fire resistant material, said body having a plurality of heat conducting annular ribs thereon, a plurality of legs adjustably attached to said body to adjustablY position said tubular body remote from the hearth of said fireplace, said body open at each end and an electrical motor driven fan disposed at one end of thereof to force ambient air through said body, a louver disposed at the other open end of said body to selectively direct the then heated air as it leaves said body, said body having in its wall, near the louvered end, at least one air exhaust pipe having connecting means thereon, a flexible pipe adapted to be attached to said exhaust pipe to direct air from said body to other areas of the fireplace including the hearth to provide a positive source of air to said hearth to assist in starting of the fire in said fireplace, shutoff means to selectively shutoff said exhaust pipe.
 2. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said connecting means includes a bayonet joint having bayonet studs on the outer surface of said air exhaust pipe and a bayonet slot disposed on the end of said flexible pipe.
 3. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the sections of the body is manufactured from formed sheet metal, said sections being attached to each other by fastening means including sheet metal screws.
 4. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein said shutoff means includes a detachable cap adapted to be fitted to the open end of said flexible pipe.
 5. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the inner area of said body is circular in cross section having a diameter of approximately five inches.
 6. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the inner area of said air exhaust pipe is circular in cross section having a diameter of approximatley one inch.
 7. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein a screen is disposed at the end of the tube upstream of said fan to remove certain particulate matter from the ambient air.
 8. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said air exhaust pipe protrudes into the inner area of said body, said air exhaust pipe being cylindrical in shape and presenting an open substantially triangularly shaped area to the air as it flows through said body.
 9. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein said air exhaust pipes are positioned near the louvered end of said body.
 10. A heating apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein there are three legs disposed equidistantly about said body, said three legs each disposed in a bracket fixedly attached to the outer surface of said body, a series of apertures in said legs spaced along the longitudinal axis thereof, an aperture in said bracket and a pin adapted to fit in said aperture of said bracket and one said aperture of said leg to fixedly and selectively position said leg with respect to said body. 